Tooth-brush.



l Y 'BATBNTED Nov. 28. 1905. n. w. KEY.

TOOTH BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILEDIABJI, 1905.

UNITED STATESl PATENT oEEIoE.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application led March 21g 1905. Serial No. 251,269.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I ,EDUARDO W. KEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Southwest City, in the county of McDonald and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth-Brushes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to tooth-brushes and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the tooth-brush. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line x x in Fig. 1, showing also the shield in osition. Fig. 3 is a side view of the shield an part of the brush.

A is the handle of the brush, which is provided with a chamber b for holding toothwash liquid. At its rear end this chamber is provided with any approved stopper b for closing it.

B is the back of the brush at the front end of the handle, and C represents the bristles or other equivalent flexible cleaning devices which proj ect from the backy B. The back B has a passage c, which communicates with the chamber b, and D is a valve between the said chamber and passage. Small holes d are provided between the bristles for letting the iquid pass from the assage c to the teeth.

E represents two ugs at the front end of the brush, and e is a rotary brush arranged between the lugs E and journaled on apin e.

F is a lug which is screwed into the front end of t e passage c and provided with ka head G is the valve-stem, which is secured to the valve D and which slides in a hole in the plug F. A spring g is secured to the lu and to f the valve-stem and normally hol s t e valve closed, so that the liquid is retained in the v chamber b.

H is a button on the end of the valve-stem. When this button is pressed, the valve is -opened for the assa e of liquid. A project1on h is forme on t e valve-stem G inside the passage, and the valve may be held open,

if desired, during the operation of using the tooth-brush by screwing the plu inward against the said projection. When t ie toothbrushv is not in use, the accidental leakage of liquid past the valve may be prevented by screwing the plug outward against the button, so that the valve is pressed hard against its seat and cannot be opened.

I is a trough-shaped shield ier thebristles, provided with inwardly-projecting lianges L at its upper edges, which engage with longitudinal grooves '11 in the sides of the brush-back. When the brush is not in use, this shield is slid over the bristles to protect them from injury.

The parts of the brush may be assembled by iirst connecting the parts G, g, F, and H, as shown, and placing them in position in the head of the brush and then screwing the valve D onto the end of the stem G with long pliers inserted through the handle A.

What I claim is- 1. In a tooth-brush, the combination, with a brush-back provided with bristles on its face and a passage having outlet-holes between the bristles, of lugs projecting from the front end4 portion ofthe back, a rotary brush j ournaled between the said lugs and projecting below the points of the said bristles, a handle provided with a chamber for liquid, a valve between the said chamber and assage, and means for operatin y the said va ve.

2. In a tooth-brush, the combination, with a brush-back provided with bristles and a passage havin outlet-holes between the bristles, of a hand e provided with a chamber for liquid, a valve between the said chamber and passage, a plug screwed into the front end of the said passage, a valve-stem which slides in the said plug and which is provided with a projection inside the said passage for the said plug to bear against to o en the valve, a button on the free end of t e said stem, and a spring which normally closes the valve, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDUARDO W. KEY. Witnesses J. C. AULT, FRED S. COOK. 

